Love Is Something Eternal
by sonnet to eva
Summary: Lily and Harry share a quiet moment together.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the affiliated characters are property of JK Rowling.

Love Is Something Eternal  
by sonnettoeva

Love is something eternal, the aspect may change, but not the essence.  
Vincent Van Gogh

Lily had not grown up dreaming of becoming a mother. While her sister played house and dolls Lily had sat out under the sun and read, guarded by a friendly maple tree, and, on clear nights, she would lay on her back in the grass, gaze up at the moon, and dream. Petunia often laughed and mocked her on these evenings, eyeing her dirty clothes, always making sure to surreptitiously smooth her unwrinkled skirt with a predatory gleam in her eyes. And though her father sometimes complained to his wife that Lily spent too much time idly daydreaming, Lily always saw her mother's guarded green eyes shimmer whenever she came in from a night studying the stars. Though she loved her mother frantically, Lily knew that the woman rarely shared her private musings; these glimpses inspired awe in Lily and made her believe that she held the key to unlocking her restrained mother. So when she died untimely (two days before Lily's Hogwarts letter arrived), Lily felt as though some of her mystery had transferred to the eleven-year-old girl, an idea validated in the inheritance of her mother's emerald eyes.

Yet, at twenty-one years old, Lily found herself in the most unlikely of situations. Yes, her parents had been loving towards each other, but they had not been very forthcoming in physically demonstrating their affection; thus Lily had assumed that marriage was based more on mutual understanding than passion and ardor. That had, eventually, become and underlying reason for her wariness of James Potter. He felt things so fervently and believed so desperately in demonstrating his emotions that Lily had been unnerved. Giving in was not only acknowledging her feelings for him but the idea that she held more zeal than what she'd grown up deeming normal. She assumed that more than their backgrounds were irreparably different and that James, like her father, could never understand the mystery that she carried. What surprised Lily so much about James when they'd finally gotten to know each other was how well he complimented her; he didn't suffocate the ambiguity but instead, unknowingly, encouraged it. Marriage had not drastically changed her and James' life together. Until recently they'd gone about their regular schedules with little need to adapt or change.

A sound came from a room upstairs; a tiny, mewling sort of sound that Lily instantly recognized as fear. Hurrying up the stairs, Lily went to the second door on the left and quietly opened the door. The half-moon bathed the room in its silvery glow, alighting on the sole occupant of the room, a small, thirteen-month boy with disarrayed black hair whose fists flailed in the air. Glancing around the room, Lily saw nothing out of place and crossed the room, looking over the top of the crib at her small son.

"What's the matter, darling?" she gently cooed, reaching down with her hand to delicately caress his soft cheek. Harry looked at his mother, panic clear in his glowing green eyes. He made a grab for her finger and held onto it, whimpering as he did. Though she was unaware of what had frightened her son, Lily knew that if he were not comforted he wouldn't fall asleep for the rest of the night. Tenderly raising him out the crib, she drew him under her chin and lightly shushed him. Rubbing his back, Lily brought Harry downstairs and sat near the fire, hoping the heat would calm him. Silence reigned for a few minutes and she thought that he might have fallen asleep. Looking down, Lily saw Harry gently sucking his thumb, eyes wide, quiet but not eased. Pressing a kiss to his forehead, Lily slowly laid back, keeping Harry safely at her chest.

"What's wrong, love? Are you upset that Daddy's not home?" James had gone a few hours ago, summoned by an urgent message from Dumbledore. "We're perfectly fine darling. Nothing will happen. Mummy's got you." As she said the words Harry raised his head and looked into her eyes, green meeting green. Lily nuzzled her nose against his forehead and kissed his downy hair. Harry burrowed his head into Lily's neck and fussed quietly.

"Would you like a story?" Lily's voice seemed to reassure Harry and so she continued, struck with an idea. "What if I told you about Mummy's mum?" Harry hiccoughed and Lily continued. "She died before I went to Hogwarts. She had long, chestnut hair and skin like Mummy's. Sometimes, when she looked at me, her eyes would _shimmer_ and it would make you feel like you were the only person in the world. She gave us her eyes you know. Hers were just like ours, almond and green. In the corner you could see a sparkle. You never really knew what the sparkle was, but if she looked at you and the sparkle glimmered just _so_ it felt like you'd been let in on a great secret. She had a lot of that about her, mystery, ambiguity, the unknown. I used to like to think that she passed some of that onto me when she died." Lily gently ran her hand down Harry's back, inhaling his scent when a realization struck her. "You know, darling, I think that sparkle, that mystery was just her way of telling me she loved me. That she and I were the only ones that knew what it meant to _really_ love. I think she loved me like I love you and Daddy: completely and overpoweringly." Lily looked down and found Harry looking back at her. "Yes, darling, you have it too you know, right there in the corner of your right eye. I can see it." Harry closed his eyes tightly, causing Lily to laugh gently. "Oh, no. You can't hide it, you know. It's just there and it lets everyone you love know exactly how much you love. Look at me, darling. See? Can you see it in my eyes too? It's there; you just have to look. Every time you see your eyes you'll know how much I love you, because I gave you the most precious gift that my mother gave me."

Lily kissed Harry once again and Harry's head returned to the crook of Lily's neck. The room was warm and reflected the red and gold hues of the fire that comfortingly crackled in the grate. Lily looked out the window and saw the moon shining, casting its light all around and suddenly she was transported to her own childhood, where she danced and sang under the mysterious gaze of her mother, unprepared when James would come home bearing news that had the power to eventually tear her little family apart

Note: Hopefully you enjoyed the story. Any and all criticism would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!


End file.
